


Tender Concessions

by RoseWinterborn



Category: Critical Role (Web Series)
Genre: First Date, Fluff, M/M, Modern AU, college students, god my teeth
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-10-24
Updated: 2020-11-21
Packaged: 2021-03-08 18:00:51
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 7,520
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27180785
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/RoseWinterborn/pseuds/RoseWinterborn
Summary: Caduceus and Molly make peace, and perhaps a little more.
Relationships: Caduceus Clay/Caleb Widogast, Caduceus Clay/Mollymauk Tealeaf, Caduceus Clay/Mollymauk Tealeaf/Caleb Widogast, Mollymauk Tealeaf/Caleb Widogast
Comments: 27
Kudos: 53





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

  * Inspired by [Friendly Competition](https://archiveofourown.org/works/17634050) by [walkalittleline](https://archiveofourown.org/users/walkalittleline/pseuds/walkalittleline). 



> Based very much on walkalittleline's masterpiece "Friendly Competition." You may benefit from reading that first.

Molly wasn’t sure he’d ever have gone for someone like Caduceus without Caleb’s help. 

It wasn’t that Caduceus was repulsive or anything, he just...wasn’t Molly’s usual type. He was tall and lanky, dressed more often for comfort than for style, and had a scent to him that was more herbaceous and earthy than floral. 

Honestly, the more time Molly spent with him, the more he understood why Caleb had fallen for him. He was grounding as hell. 

Things had eased, after their meeting in the coffee shop. Once it had become clear that it really wasn’t a competition--that Caleb loved them both, and it wasn’t a race to make him choose, as Molly had perhaps subconsciously still been trying to do. Caleb had stood to order refreshments, leaving them to their own devices for a moment.

Molly had studied the tabletop, had noted the grooves of endless pencil scratches in the laminate from years of students using it to cram for exams. He’d chewed on his lip, the sharp pressure of his incisors keeping him from falling into the well of discomfort boiling behind his sternum. And finally, he’d looked up with a furrowed brow. “Truce?”

Caduceus’s gaze had been level, but kind. “I suppose so,” he’d said softly. “Caleb seems to have called it for us.”

A glance towards their tutor standing in line, eyes fixed on the menu board, had made something in Molly’s chest melt. The slope of Caleb’s shoulders had been relaxed for the first time in days, perhaps weeks, and Molly could just see the corner of Caleb’s mouth, turned up in a tiny smile. 

He’d turned back to Caduceus. “I might have been kidding about the threesome bit,” he’d admitted. 

Mirth had bloomed in the firbolg’s eyes. “Well. I haven’t had any threesomes, so you’re still ahead of me.”

When Caleb had returned to place a raspberry hazelnut mocha in front of Molly and a fragrant earl grey in front of Caduceus, Molly’s chest had ached, but for the first time in months it had been a good kind of pain. 

Very little changed afterward, but everything did. Caleb didn’t go to any more of his rehearsals, but he did chisel out a little extra time after their study session to trade soft kisses (and, when Fjord left the room, sometimes a bit more than kisses). Wednesday was still theirs, for them to sit thigh-to-thigh under Molly’s canopy and pore over history notes and for Molly to take in the gentle smoke-tea-paper smell of Caleb at his leisure. Thursday was still for Caduceus, but Molly had no longer felt like he was losing Caleb when he left on Wednesday night. 

Saturday was new. Saturdays, he had a standing invitation to Caleb’s apartment for baking with Caduceus. He was reluctant to go, at first. He knew that Saturdays had been Caduceus’s, before...would he be intruding? Would seeing them together hurt in a way it hadn’t at the coffee shop? What if Caleb really did love Caduceus more, and--

His fears died away when Caleb met him at the door, eyes bright, smile warm. Molly slid his hands over Caleb’s sweater-soft shoulders, unable to stop himself from grinning into Caleb’s greeting kiss. “Hey, handsome.”

“ _ Hallo  _ yourself,” Caleb murmured, pressing a kiss to his temple. Molly melted a little. “Why don’t you come into the kitchen, Caduceus just arrived as well.”

Quick as it had gone, his nervousness bloomed again in his stomach as he followed Caleb through the apartment, a little shaky despite the gentle grasp of Caleb’s fingers in his. In the kitchen, Caduceus glanced up from the shopping bags scattered on the counter with an amiable smile. “Good morning, Mollymauk,” he said. “I hope you like carrot cake.”

“Molly to my friends,” Molly said, without thinking. “And I don’t know of anyone who  _ doesn’t  _ like carrot cake, Deuces.” 

The firbolg’s smile grew ever so slightly. “Deuces, huh?”

Molly opened his mouth, then closed it. He shrugged, grinning sheepishly. “Gotta say, your moniker’s a mouthful. Not that I’m really one to talk.”

“I think your name is lovely, Molly,” Caduceus said gently, before going back to unpacking the groceries. Molly glanced at Caleb’s face, and the last of his anxiety fled at the pure adoration written all over Caleb’s face. The light in his eyes didn’t fade as he looked from Caduceus to Molly, and that was when it finally clicked--there really was no competition here, friendly or otherwise. They both already had Caleb in every way that mattered. 

That afternoon passed in a delightful haze of sugar and warmth and gentle ribbing as Molly managed to wreck the consistency of the icing and Caleb insisted on attempting to fix it by adding more sugar when Caduceus wasn’t looking. As their creation baked, they retreated to the couch to watch a movie. Shortly after they settled, Molly sprawled with his head in Caleb’s lap and Caduceus with his arm wrapped around Caleb’s shoulders, Nott stumbled out of her room to get ready for work and fixed them all with a flat, unamused stare. 

Molly’s stomach dropped out from under him, and he felt Caleb stiffen before Nott said, “who’s responsible for the orange chunks on the kitchen ceiling?”

Molly grinned, tail twitching against the back of the couch. “Ah, that would be Frumpkin, darling.”

Nott eyed him with bleary distaste, before muttering, “well, ‘Frumpkin’ had better get it cleaned up before I get home from work, then.”

Molly and Caleb giggled as Nott made her way down the hall, and Molly had a perfect vantage point for the pure confusion donning Caduceus’s face. “There are orange chunks on the ceiling?” 

Molly couldn’t help but cackle. “Caleb got a little blender-happy while you were in the bathroom,” he said, conspiratorial. There was a moment before Caduceus’s face broke into a quiet chuckle that had an unexpected seed of warmth blooming in Molly’s chest. 

“That is funny,” Caduceus murmured, pressing a kiss to Caleb’s temple; the poor boy was blushing bright red from Molly’s admission. “I’ll help you clean that up when we take the cake out, sunshine.”

“Thank you, Barchen,” Caleb said softly, leaning into Caduceus’s shoulder. His fingers found their way into Molly’s hair, and he closed his eyes, feeling rather like Frumpkin in the best possible way. 

***

“I think that went well,” Caduceus confided in his aloe later that night. The succulent waited patiently for him to elaborate. “Mollymauk is different than I expected,” Caduceus said finally. “He told me to call him Molly, I think. ‘Molly to my friends’...I don’t know if we’re friends or not.” Caduceus frowned. “I did call him Molly a few times. Maybe I shouldn’t have.” 

The aloe didn’t seem to have any advice, nor the thyme, nor the spider plant. Caduceus sighed, turning his attention to the gardenia. A couple of new buds were coming in, tiny and delicate. He studied them for any sign of struggle.

“You’re right,” he said eventually. “I should spend some time with Mollymauk, in order to become his friend. Caleb will like that, I think. For us to be friends.”

He tried to think of a way to ask Molly to hang out while he finished taking care of his plants, and came out on the other side feeling a bit lost and overwhelmed. Finally, he gave in and sent a text to Jester. 

**_CC: Do you know Mollymauk Tealeaf?_ **

**_JL: Why? What happened? Are you okay Caduceus?_ **

**_CC: I’m fine. Just not sure what he likes to do._ **

Caduceus could almost see the perplexed expression on Jester’s face as he waited for her reply. 

**_JL: I thought you said you and Caleb worked everything out???!!! (O-O)_ **

**_CC: We did! Don’t worry. I’m just trying to...extend an olive branch, as it were?_ **

There was a long pause before Jester finally responded.  **_Is it okay if I give your number to Beau? She’s better friends with Molly than I am._ **

**_CC: Sure. :)_ **

**_JL: Are you sure you’re okay Caduceus? I don’t want you to not be okay._ **

**_CC: I’m perfectly fine, Jester. Don’t worry._ **

**_JL: Okay <3 <3 <3_ **

A few minutes later, there was a message from a new number.

**_Hey, this is Beau. Jester said you had questions about Molly?_ **

**_CC: I did, actually. What kinds of things does he like to do?_ **

There was a long pause this time, longer than any of Jester’s. 

**_B: Why do you need to know?_ **

Caduceus scrunched up his nose as he tried to figure out how to answer. 

**_CC: Earlier today he said he was Molly to his friends. I would like to be his friend._ **

If the first pause had been long, this one stretched into eternity. Caduceus was almost ready for bed before she replied. 

**_B: He likes that bar by Caleb and Nott’s. Be nice to him or I’ll kick your ass._ **

**_CC: Thank you Beau :) I will_ **

His next text was to Mollymauk, whose number he’d received at the coffee shop earlier that week. 

**_CC: Hey, it's Caduceus. Would you like to hang out sometime this week?_ **

***

**_Deuces: Hey, it’s Caduceus. Would you like to hang out sometime this week?_ **

Molly stared at his phone, brow furrowed as he parsed first the message and then the sensation of warmth floating behind his breastbone like a balloon. He pressed a palm to his sternum as the second text came through.

**_Deuces: Beau said you were fond of a bar near Caleb’s apartment?_ **

Molly barked a laugh, before clapping a hand over his mouth to keep from waking Fjord. 

**_Molly: The Painted Lady definitely isn’t your speed, Deuces. But I would love to hang out! ;-Y_ **

**_Deuces: I’m free Friday? :)_ **

**_Deuces: What does ;-Y mean?_ **

**_Molly: We’ll workshop it--Friday it is!_ **

Molly pulled up the camera and stuck his tongue out, attaching the picture.

**_Deuces: Ah._ **

**_Deuces: Well, I am open to suggestions :)_ **

Molly chewed on his lip.

**_Molly: How about coffee? That’s traditional, right?_ **

**_Deuces: I’m not fond of coffee, but I would be amenable to meeting you at a cafe :)_ **

Molly rolled his eyes. Then he typed out  **_It’s a date!_ ** and hit send, a split second before his eyes went wide and he very, very silently had a mental breakdown. 

***

Friday came quickly, and Molly was terrified. 

“You doin’ okay there, Molly?” Fjord asked, side-eying him from his desk. Molly, for his part, was lying in a pile of discarded clothing on his bed. 

“No,” Molly groaned. 

“Is there...anything I can you help with?” 

“What do you wear for a date that’s not a date but you’re not sure if you want it to be a date?”

“That sounds...really complicated. Wait, aren’t you still dating Caleb? Y’all got that worked out, right?”

“Yeah, everything’s fine,” Molly said, blowing his hair out of his eyes and sitting up. “But I’m meeting Deuces--Caduceus--for coffee and I don’t know what to  _ wear. _ ” 

When he glanced Fjord’s way, the half-orc’s jaw was slack. “What?”

“So...lemme get this straight...you and Caleb are still together, but he and Caduceus are still…?”

“Yeah,” Molly huffed, folding his arms. “It’s...fine. We worked it out. All of us.”

“...And you’re meeting Caduceus for coffee now?” Fjord clarified, slowly. As if he still didn’t quite understand what Molly was saying. 

“Yeah,” Molly said. 

“And you don’t know if you want it to be a date or not?”

“Yeah,” Molly said, quieter.

Fjord exhaled slowly and shook his head. “I do not get what y’all are doing but far be it from me to stop you.” His eyes fell on the mountain of fabric cushioning Molly’s repose. “Do the green pants and the tall boots. If he doesn’t know what he’s getting into after that, then there’s no hope for him.”

Molly glanced at the mess of fabric. “That’s teal, darling.”

“Whatever.”

Molly dragged the pants in question out of the pile and flashed him a grin. “You’re a doll, Fjord.”

“Yeah, yeah. Just know that there will be  _ absolutely no threesomes  _ in this room, whether I’m here or not. You and Caleb are bad enough.”

Molly spared him a cheeky grin as he pulled his boots up around his thighs. 

***

They met in the same cafe as they’d come together in the week before. Caduceus arrived first, and chose a table in the corner with the best view. He wondered if he should place his order, but decided not to and simply waited, running his hands nervously over the jeans Jester had insisted he get when he was wooing Caleb. He’d paired it with a mint-green sweater that Jester had cooed over in the store, hoping that he wasn’t overdressed. It was hard to tell, sometimes, especially since he was so new to this. 

The little bell over the door chimed, and Mollymauk entered like a firework, the maroon of his coat playing off his violet skin like a vibrant sunset. Caduceus waved and made to stand as Molly came his way, a grin on his face that, somehow, seemed shy.

“Hey, Deuces,” Mollymauk said with a wink. “Come here often?”

“Fairly often, yeah,” Caduceus said, grinning back. “How are you, Mollymauk?”

Mollymauk waved him off. “Molly to my friends, Deuces. Pretty sure we’re friends now by default. And I’m good! How are you?” 

“I’m doing well. Would you, uh. Would you like to order, now?” They had officially reached the end of the conversation Caduceus knew how to make. 

Molly’s grin widened, his ruby eyes crinkling at the corners. “Sure, Deuces. What are we having?” 

“Ah, well. I usually have earl grey, but this place has a particularly good jasmine green tea that I’ve been craving all afternoon.”

“Well, then, jasmine green tea it is,” Molly said easily.

Caduceus’s brow furrowed. “Oh, you don’t have to order it too if you don’t want to.”

“No, no,” Molly shook his head. “I’m trying it on your recommendation. I wouldn’t know where to start.”

Caduceus followed him to the counter, still frowning. “Isn’t your name Tealeaf?” 

Molly shrugged. “It was more of an aesthetic choice,” he said. 

Tea ordered and steeping on the table between them, they finally came to the part where they needed to  _ talk.  _ Caduceus tried not to stare at the tabletop, fiddling with the sleeve on his cup for a moment before he cleared his throat. 

“So, you met Caleb through tutoring as well?” Internally, he winced. “What subject?”

“History,” Molly said, similarly reserved. “I’m not a fan. You?”

“Chemistry,” Caduceus said, wincing for a different reason this time. “I don’t think I would be passing it without him.” When he met Molly’s eyes, the tiefling was wearing a look of sympathetic distaste. 

“Yeah, I don’t know if I would be, either. What’s your major?”

“Horticulture,” Caduceus said, smiling. “I’m good with plants. I like to think, at least.”

Molly smiled back, and it lost some of its hesitancy. “Theatre,” he said. “I’m doing Rocky Horror in a few weeks.”

Caduceus nodded sagely. “I don’t know what that is, but I’m sure you’ll be great.”

Molly sputtered. “You don’t--uncultured cretins, you and Caleb  _ both.”  _ He took a dismissive sip of tea, and his expression turned thoughtful. 

“Do you like it?” Caduceus asked hesitantly. 

“It’s really good,” Molly admitted. “I probably didn’t actually need sugar for this.”

Caduceus shrugged. “I usually don’t.” 

They lapsed into silence again.

“Soooo…” Molly stirred his cup with the teabag, the string dangling from his long fingers. 

“I’m sorry,” Caduceus said, grimacing. “I’m...not good at this, I think.”

Molly raised an eyebrow. “Not good at what?”

“Ah, talking. Dates.”

Caduceus couldn’t read the expression on Molly’s face; the tiefling’s hand stilled over his cup. “Is this a date?”

Caduceus wrinkled his nose. “I don’t know. Should it be?”

Molly’s expression didn’t change, but he jerked his hand into motion again, dropping the teabag back into the water and setting his hand delicately on the table. “I don’t know either,” he said, punctuating it with a tiny, nervous-sounding laugh. “Why don’t we get out of here?” 

“I’m doing that badly, huh?” Caduceus said mournfully. 

“ _ We’re  _ doing that badly, love,” Molly replied. “And I don’t think staring at each other across the table is doing us any favors. Let’s get up, and, I don’t know. Walk around. See some sights. Make some bad decisions.”

Caduceus raised a brow, but he smiled a little too. “I’m amenable to that. Depending on the bad decisions, of course.”

“Of course,” Molly said slyly, standing. 

They found themselves in a shop a few blocks away that boasted a wide array of disparate wares. Books, in one room. Beads and gems so varied and numerous it made Caduceus’s head spin. A small assortment of clothing, soft linens and rayon that made him itch to touch them. Molly watched almost fondly as he studied a pair of harem pants patterned in teal and a pink that rivalled the color of his eyes. 

“This is soft,” Caduceus murmured. 

“I don’t doubt it,” Molly assured him. 

They wandered the clothing for a while, Molly following Caduceus as he felt his way through the racks. In the end, he returned to the pants, already resigned to what he was sure would be an atrocious price tag. At the last moment, though, Molly snatched them from his grasp. 

“Ah, ah! You bought tea. This one’s on me.”

“Nonsense,” Caduceus protested. “This is--”

“Please,” Molly said, more softly. “To make up for...the things I said. Before.”

Caduceus frowned. “You weren’t the only one who said things you regret, you know.”

Molly chewed his lip. There was a peculiar feeling in Caduceus’s chest. 

“Tell you what,” Molly said finally. “We’ll make it a game. I’ll get these, and you find something you think I’d like. Perfectly fair.”

Caduceus thought of the way Molly’s eyes had lit up as they passed the glittering room of beads, and couldn’t help but smile a little. “Perfectly fair,” he repeated. 

They stayed in the clothing section for a while longer, this time as Caduceus studied the various garments for a pattern or color that looked like it would suit Molly’s flamboyant personality. Finally satisfied he wouldn’t find anything, however, he tentatively took Molly’s hand and led him towards the beads. 

It was...a curious feeling. Molly’s hand was warm, his skin soft, with a gentle rasp of long nails as he squeezed Caduceus’s hand in return. Molly smiled at him, a small dimple showing at the corner of his mouth, and the feeling in Caduceus’s chest grew lighter, warmer. 

Perhaps they had been fools all along, fighting over Caleb when the potential of this, too, had hung in the balance. 

“Tell me about crystals,” Caduceus said. “You seem familiar with them.”

“I don’t know,” Molly admitted. “Mostly I just like that they sparkle.” 

Despite this, he spent the next forty-five minutes gleefully describing the properties of various crystals to Caduceus, pointing out different varieties of agate and jasper. His fingers fluttered over clearer stones, his touch lingering on a slab of labradorite whose flare of color matched the spray of feathers running up Molly’s neck. Caduceus made his decision without Molly’s input, however, hefting a smallish red stone from its bin and turning it over in his hand. “What’s this one?”

“Ruby,” Molly supplied. 

Caduceus repeated it to himself, admiring the glint of it between his fingers. He met Molly’s eyes, the same striking color, and smiled. 

Molly, to his credit, blushed. 

They wandered a bit more before they made their purchases, then stepped back out into the cool night. Their hands were still linked, and the thought kept Caduceus warm as he walked Molly back to his dorm. 

“This was fun,” Caduceus said. “I had a good time.”

“I did too,” Molly said, uncharacteristically quiet. “We should, um. Definitely do it again, sometime.”

“We should,” Caduceus agreed placidly, ignoring the helium sensation of his heart expanding. “Maybe we could try that bar you like? Just to be sure it isn’t ‘my speed.’”

He caught Molly’s eye, and was surprised by the expression on the tiefling’s face. Indecision, perhaps. Doubt. 

Molly’s hand went tight on Caduceus’s, and a moment later he lunged up to press his lips to his cheek. His lips were soft, but the place where they landed burned anyway. “I’d--I’d like that. Good night, Deuces,” Molly whispered. Then he extricated himself from Caduceus’s grasp and disappeared into the building, leaving Caduceus alone with the scent of jasmine and lavender and the blazing warmth of a blush on his cheeks. 


	2. Chapter 2

Caduceus wouldn’t have thought such feelings could be inspired by more than one person at once. 

He floated back to his dorm, a faint smile playing across his lips even as the sensation of warmth from Molly’s kiss faded. When he returned to his room, to the host of greenery awaiting him, it was only absently that he tended them, and only faintly that he recognized the sound of his phone buzzing. 

**_CW: Hallo, Bärchen. How was your evening?_ **

**_CC: Good. :)_ ** _ Molly and I went on a date. Or did we? Tell me, Caleb, what does it mean if it ends in a kiss? _

**_CW: I am glad. What time would you like to meet tomorrow?_ **

Caduceus paused. Tomorrow. Saturday. Baking. He frowned thoughtfully. 

**_CC: Will Molly be coming again?_ **

It seems to Caduceus that he can feel Caleb’s trepidation in the pause that follows. 

**_CW: I do not know. I can ask him, if you’d like?_ **

**_CC: That’s all right, I can do it. I was thinking about going to the farmer’s market again. There should be some spring vegetables, now._ **

**_CW: Alright. <3 I will see you in the morning, then?_ **

**_CC: Around ten :) Good night, sunshine._ **

**_CW: Good night, Bärchen._ **

Caduceus texts Molly, and it goes unanswered. He falls asleep with his mind whirling, and the last thought he has before it takes him is that he still has Molly’s ruby in his pocket. 

***

Caleb and Molly meet him at the bus stop the next morning promptly at ten. Caduceus takes a moment to appreciate the view--Caleb in his worn leather trench coat, a woolen scarf wrapped loosely around his shoulders and his face flushed just a bit from the briskness of the air. Beside him, Molly, coat riotous and eccentric, eyes curiously seeming to look everywhere but Caduceus. 

“Good morning!” he called cheerfully. 

“Good morning,  _ Bärchen _ .” Caleb’s eyes crinkled with his smile, and Caduceus basked in the warmth that bloomed in his chest at the sight of it. 

“‘Sup, Deuces,” Molly quipped, smirking. That caught Caduceus off guard, wondering if he’d imagined the avoidance in Molly’s eyes not a moment before. 

“Hello, Molly,” he replied warmly. “Have you ever been to the farmer’s market?”

“Never,” Molly said cheerfully. “I can’t wait.”

The ride to the farmer’s market was comfortable, Caduceus thought. He and Molly sandwiched Caleb in his seat; Caduceus took the man’s hand, marvelling at the way his fingers dwarfed the pale ones in his palm, and Molly’s tail threaded around Caleb’s wrist, resting just so that when he flicked the spade it caressed Caduceus’s forearm. Deliberately, placidly, Caduceus met Molly’s eyes over the top of Caleb’s head, and grinned when the tiefling offered him a shaky wink. 

Caleb, for his part, seemed oblivious, sinking back into his seat with a sigh and resting his head on the rattling window, the tiniest of smiles gracing his lips. 

The market was still indoors, and likely would be until late April or May. Though it had warmed considerably in the last few weeks, there was still a vendor near the entrance selling hot chocolate, and Caduceus took it upon himself to buy three, distributing them amongst his companions. Caleb thanked him with a soft smile before raising the cup to his lips; Molly’s fingers closed around his as he handed the cup over, and Caduceus blinked, surprised.

“Why thank you, darling,” Molly purred, finally taking it from him.

“You’re--very welcome,” Caduceus said. He took a sip from his own drink.

Surely he wasn’t imagining the way his lungs lit up at Molly’s touch, a sensation not unlike the gentle fire of Caleb’s affection.

“So, where to first, Deuces?” Molly asked, spinning away from him. Caduceus watched the liquid slosh in his cup with some degree of alarm. 

“Well, Molly, where would you like to go?” Caduceus relaxed a bit as Caleb looped his arm through his, the warmth and weight of it grounding. “There should be a fair amount of cold-weather vegetables, honey. Should be flowers, as well.” The last item seemed to pique his interest, so they wandered through the stalls, first and foremost looking for flowers. 

They weren’t difficult to find. One stall boasted a display of tiny succulents, another pots of lilies and hyacinths and tulips. Caduceus watched with a pang of dismay as Molly examined booth after booth without every really latching onto anything. Nothing showed in his face beyond variations on his usual smirk as he quipped occasionally to Caleb, but Caduceus couldn’t help but wonder if he was bored, noting the agitated switching of his tail. 

Out of the corner of his eye, he caught sight of a smaller booth, newer. The table was lined with neat stacks and rows of colored blocks, and it took him a moment to realize that it was soap. Without thinking, he placed a hand in the center of Molly’s back, barely noticing the sudden stillness under his palm as he redirected Molly’s attention. “That may be, ah. ‘More your speed’?”

“Aw, Deuces, are you telling me I stink?” Molly whined, but from the way his expression lit up it was clearly a ruse. Caduceus and Caleb allowed themselves to be dragged over so that Molly could pore over the various soaps with a vigor he’d hardly mustered for the flowers. He left the stall with a heavy paper bag dangling from his fingertips and a pleased smile plastered across his face. 

Caduceus stopped by his favorite tea stall, stocking up on a few blends for himself, as well as a calming blend of chamomile and spearmint for Caleb and, recalling his penchant for sugar, a caramel black tea for Molly. 

Then they turned their attention on vegetables. 

“What are we cooking,  _ Bärchen _ ?” Caleb asked, watching him peruse the selection idly. 

“I was thinking maybe a vegetable pot pie,” he said thoughtfully. “Might have to make a few substitutions, but I think it’ll turn out okay.”

“Ah, well,” Caleb said ruefully. “We couldn’t live on baked goods forever, I suppose.” 

Caduceus chuckled. “It’s certainly not recommended. Molly, what vegetables do you like?”

Molly propped his chin on Caleb’s shoulder, nose wrinkled. “Does vodka count as a vegetable?”

Caduceus paused to consider, but Caleb swatted at him playfully. “It absolutely does not,  _ Schatz _ . Your poor, poor liver.”

Molly ducked away, giggling. “My poor, poor liver is doing just fine, thank you!” Eyes on Caduceus, he gave a little bow with a flourish of his tail. “I’ll have whatever the master recommends.”

Caduceus nodded. “Alright. Sunshine, what about you?”

Before Caleb could answer, however, Molly pouted theatrically. “You know, I’m starting to feel a little left out. How come Caleb gets a pet name and I don’t?”

Caduceus’s chest hurt for a moment before he noticed the teasing glint in Molly’s eye. 

“You have one from me,  _ Schatz _ ,” Caleb reminded him, knocking him gently with his shoulder. 

“I know, and it’s lovely, darling, but I don’t have one from  _ Deuces  _ and fair’s only fair!” Molly draped himself over Caleb’s shoulder, the picture of a damsel in distress.

“I’d be happy to find one for you, Molly,” Caduceus heard himself say, wondering at the warmth rising in his cheeks. “It might take a bit, though. I had to look some up for Caleb.”

Molly  _ beamed  _ at him, and Caduceus realized only belatedly that he was staring. 

***

“Oh, Deuces, before I forget again--” Molly twisted from his sprawl over Caleb’s lap to rifle through his things where they were piled next to the couch and drew out a parcel that he had wrapped in one of his own colorful scarves. The pie was baking, filling the apartment with an earthy, bready smell that was making his stomach take notice. 

“What’s this? Oh!” Caduceus seemed to recognize it before he managed to unwrap it. “Thank you, Molly. I don’t remember this, though…” The way he handled the scarf was straightforward but careful, and Molly pushed down a little bubble of delight as it rose in his chest. 

“It’s one of mine, but I hardly wear it. Thought you could use a little more color in your wardrobe.” It was only a tiny lie. Molly wasn’t sure if he’d worn it or not (he had so many) but the real reason he’d gifted it was to see if Caduceus wearing his things would have the same effect as Caleb doing so. It was an  _ experiment.  _

“Thank you, Molly,” Caduceus said, eyes creased at the corners. “And…” He reached into his pocket, disturbing Frumpkin just a bit before pulling out the red stone he’d apparently been carrying all morning. It was warm in Molly’s hand. 

“What’s this?” Caleb asked, brow raised at them both. 

“We went on a date last night,” Molly said absently. Then he froze, and his eyes rose to Caduceus’s as he felt himself go pale. 

“It was very nice,” Caduceus assured him warmly. “I had a great time.”

“ _ Was _ , without me?” Caleb asked, sounding, bless him, a little shocked. Would he be jealous?

“Well, we’ve both been on plenty of dates  _ with  _ you,” Molly said quickly. “Caduceus decided that it couldn’t hurt to try and get to know each other a bit, that’s all.” 

Molly watched dimples form on Caleb’s cheeks as he smiled. “I’m glad you are getting along,” he said softly, and leaned down to press a deeply awkward kiss to Molly’s forehead. As he sat back up, Molly glanced at Caduceus again, and found his own turmoil mirrored precisely in Caduceus’s coral eyes. 

***

They met again that Friday, this time in Caduceus’s dorm room. It had been a hectic week for them both, with another half-round of midterms and Molly’s performance coming up quickly. Frankly, Molly considered it a miracle that he even had his Friday night to himself, but the director seemed to think that the cast could use a breather and had told them to be ready for dress rehearsals starting the next Monday. Fortunately for Molly, he’d been ready for dress rehearsals since he’d been cast. 

Molly remembered vaguely what Caduceus’s room had been like, the night he’d unsteadily carried his tequila up three flights of stairs to confront him over Caleb’s affections. It was a night he remembered...surprisingly fondly, now. The weed had been good, sure, but the camaraderie he’d found with Caduceus had been better. The gentle candor, the easy companionship. Molly found his mouth forming something like a smile, and he silently hoped that they could get back to that sort of ease, but sober this time. 

Caduceus smiled when he opened the door. Molly was dressed down tonight, in a t-shirt he’d stolen from Caleb, and Caduceus looked cozy to match, in a soft grey shirt and the pants Molly had bought him the week before. His feet were bare, and Molly mentally raised an eyebrow at the size of them, thinking back to another part of their weed-high conversation and silently evaluating his assumption of who topped whom when Caduceus and Caleb fucked. 

“Hey, Deuces,” Molly said, grinning. 

“Hello, Molly,” Caduceus replied. “I started the kettle, but I didn’t know what kind of tea you’d want so I haven’t made any yet.”

“Aw, that’s sweet of you.” Caduceus stepped aside and Molly swept in, shrugging off his coat and folding it over his arms. Caduceus’s room is daylight-bright and warm, one wall completely covered in potted plants. He took a couple steps closer, squinting at the post-it notes stuck to the pots. They seemed to be...notes on what the plants liked. Molly found himself grinning. 

“So I don’t know what you wanted to do tonight, but I  _ did _ look up some nicknames like you wanted,” Caduceus said amiably. On his desk, the electric kettle started to boil, the roiling water sparkling as it caught the light from the plant display. 

Molly’s tail twitched excitedly and he coiled it around his calf to avoid any incidents. “Did you? I can’t wait to hear them.” 

The kettle clicked off to signify that it’s finished. Caduceus seemed to be blushing as he took out a pair of mugs, hefty and handmade. “Ah, first. I bought you some tea at the farmer’s market. I was going to wait until I gave Caleb his, but...would you like to try it now?”

Molly thought back to the extra bars of soap hidden in a drawer in his dorm room and felt himself blush as well. “I would be delighted, Deuces. So far you’ve proven a firbolg of excellent taste.”

Caduceus laughed. “I don’t know about that.” 

“Aw, come on, Deuces. Tea, baked goods, men, tieflings...so far you’re unparalleled.” Molly registered his own words just a second too late and if he’d been blushing before, he was burning now. 

But Caduceus only chuckled and brought him a steaming mug. “Careful, it’s hot.”

Molly wrapped his hands around it anyway, in penance. It didn’t hurt much, with Molly’s heritage, but the sentiment was there. He glanced around, then grabbed the desk chair and dragged it closer to the bed where Caduceus had settled and straddled it, using the back to support his forearms and his tea. “So. About those pet names.”

Caduceus smiled into his tea, bashful. “Um. Well. I found a few. Just tell me which one you like best. Uh...precious, moonlight, moonshine, jewel, and treasure. You have a whole...” Caduceus gestured broadly. “...aesthetic, going on. I thought those might suit you.”

Molly sipped his tea slowly, burning the roof of his mouth as he fought down the sensation in his chest enough to speak. “I like moonshine,” he croaked finally, forcing a sly grin. “But I think my favorite is treasure.” It was what Caleb called him; he liked the consistency of it. 

“Maybe I’ll use both,” Caduceus mused, then, almost to himself-- “sunshine and moonshine.”

Molly paused, then said, “You do know moonshine is alcoholic, right?” 

Caduceus tilted his head, and his smile got just a teeny bit wider. “Still suits you.”

Molly ducked his head and took another drink. The tea was delicious, strong and dark with a sweetness that he could tell wasn’t just honey. “This is really good,” he said. Caduceus smiled over the rim of his cup. 

“Thank you. The seller is one of my favorites.”

They lapsed into silence, tea warm between them. It wasn’t the awkward tension of the cafe from the previous week, but neither was it quite comfortable either. 

“So,” Molly said. “What do you want to do?”

“To be honest, I haven’t really thought of anything,” Caduceus said. He grinned, that slow, placid grin of his that Molly didn’t know what to do with. “Besides, I picked last time.”

“I think we  _ both  _ picked last time, thank you very much,” Molly retorted, eyeing Caduceus’s pants pointedly. The firbolg laughed, rocking back on the bed. 

“True,” he said. “Do you want me to pick again?”

“Hm.” Molly’s tail twitched behind him. “Do you want to go out or stay in?”

“I could do either,” Caduceus said, eyes sliding to the small, rain-spattered window. “But, between us, I think I’d rather stay in.” 

“Fair enough,” Molly said. He squinted around the room. There wasn’t a television, and the only computer was a laptop that looked serviceable but not quite large enough to comfortably watch a movie. 

Inspiration struck. 

“Oh!” Molly dug into his coat pocket, pulling out a stack of lightly battered cardstock. “I have cards!”

“It’s been...a long time since I played cards,” Caduceus said apologetically. “You might have to teach me.”

“How about Go Fish?” Molly wiggled the deck in the air. “It’s pretty simple.”

Caduceus nodded, decisive. “I could probably manage Go Fish.”

Molly grinned. “Excellent. Do you mind if I…?” He gestured to the bed.

“Oh no, feel free.” Caduceus scooted closer to the headboard, making room for Molly at the foot of the bed. Molly relocated and set his cup on the chair, laying out his deck and picking through it for unnecessary cards. 

“What kind of cards are these?” Caduceus asked, nose wrinkling adorably. “I don’t recognize the suits.”

“Oh, it’s a tarot deck!” Molly said. “The suits here are wands, swords, cups, and pentacles.” He pushed a few example cards towards Caduceus. “I’m taking out the major arcana first, because they won’t have any matches. And I haven’t finished them, anyway.”

“Finished them?” Caduceus echoed. He studied the card, delicately dwarfed in his hand. “Did you draw these?”

Despite himself, Molly felt a little bashful. “I did. They’re, um. Easier to read that way.”

Caduceus gave the card back, expression warm. It did interesting things to Molly’s heart. “Which one’s your favorite?” 

“My favorite,” he said, drawing out the words. He tapped his lip in consideration. It would be one of the major arcana; he’d gone all out on those, going so far as to get metallic markers for some of the line art. “I like the art I did for the moon,” he said finally, sifting through until he found it. The card indeed depicted the moon, shining silver over a lake that reflected its form crimson. “But it’s kind of a grim card, so I think I’d have to say the star.” He pulled that one out as well, a crystalline mass of sharp points inked in metallic silver and pale blue. Caduceus took both from his hands, examining them side-by-side.

“It’s a hopeful card,” he said finally, before handing them back. “I like it.”

Molly preened. “Thank you.”

Eventually he managed to separate the arcanas and shuffled, dealing a hand to each of them and setting the rest on the bed between them. “Do you know how to play this one?”

“I think I’ve got the gist,” Caduceus said. He stared down at his cards for a moment, brow furrowed. “Got any...threes?”

Molly grinned. “Go fish.”

Molly was pleasantly surprised by the atmosphere that ensued, the nonchalant comfort of sitting across from each other on Caduceus’s bed playing cards. Molly won two out of three, before Caduceus was collecting his mug and asking if he wanted more tea. 

“Sure,” he said, reclining against the wall. He flipped through his discarded arcana, admiring the art he’d done on some and judging his handwriting and sketches on the ones he hadn’t quite finished yet. 

“Do you do readings?” Caduceus asked, preoccupied with the kettle.

“Sometimes,” Molly said. “Mostly for myself. Haven’t had the opportunity to do one for someone else in a while.”

“Would you do one for me?” Caduceus pressed a freshly warm cup into Molly’s hand, eyes positively earnest. 

Molly couldn’t help but grin. “But of  _ course,  _ Deuces! You need only ask!” He took a sip, scalding his tongue, and set the tea aside to cool before shuffling his deck back together; the minor arcana alone had felt strange in his hand, thin, but once all the cards were returned it was a solid, reassuring weight between his fingers. Caduceus leaned against the headboard, hands cupped around his mug contemplatively as he watched Molly shuffle. 

Once Molly was satisfied the deck was in order, he held it out to Caduceus. The firbolg looked very confused.

“I, uh. What do you need me to do?” he asked, setting his tea down gently.

“Shuffle for a bit. Think of your question, or just sorta meditate if you don’t have a question in mind. Then when you’re done, I’ll draw your cards.” Molly wiggled the cards back and forth ever so slightly until Caduceus took them from his hand.

Caduceus hummed, clumsily shuffling the cards the way Molly had been, eyes fixed on the mismatched illustration on the backs. Molly took the moment to study the way his eyelashes fanned across his cheeks, the way his lips pursed in concentration...the way his deft fingers kept the deck whole, even when he fumbled a bit with the cards. 

He had it  _ so bad.  _

Finally, Caduceus smiled and passed the cards back, and Molly drew his fortune. 

He whistled when he turned the card over. “Lotta cups there, Deuces,” he said. “We feeling emotional?”

Caduceus’s brow furrowed. “I don’t know what you mean by emotional,” he said. “Emotions are a perfectly normal aspect of the psyche, there really isn’t a time when you  _ aren’t  _ emotional.”

Molly opened his mouth to speak, then closed it again. “Fair enough. Anyway, the first card, for your past--the moon, reversed. It deals a lot with uncertainty, especially self-doubt. Reversed, it’s a little more concrete. Your circumstances are--were--uncertain, and you needed to use your intuition to make it out in one piece.” He chanced a look at Caduceus’s face, and found it thoughtful. “For the present, the three of cups. That’s a sweet one. It’s for happiness, for finding your people. It can be celebration, or just for spending time with the people you love.” Mouth dry, now, Molly gestured towards the third and final card. “And, for the future, the ace of cups. Aces are typically fresh starts, or releases, and cups is the suit of emotion.This card is telling you to live your life to the fullest, and to embrace those new beginnings.” 

Molly looked up at Caduceus from under his lashes, and was startled to find Caduceus looking back, eyes fixed on his face despite the expression of deep thought on his brow. Molly, panicking a bit, spread his arms in a little flourish. “Ta-da?”

A slow little smile creased the corner of Caduceus’s mouth, and Molly felt his heart shudder in his chest. 

“Molly,” Caduceus said softly. “Would you mind terribly if I kissed you?”

Molly’s inner monologue was suddenly overcome with one long tornado-siren sound of excitement, and he felt his jaw go slack a split second before he saw Caduceus’s expression fall. Before the firbolg could speak, however, he forced himself to breathe and whispered, “I’d be rather discouraged if you didn’t, Deuces.”

That little spark in Caduceus's eye lit up again, though his expression remained measured. Carefully, he picked up the cards that lay between them and put them to the side, scooting carefully towards Molly across the bed. Molly didn’t move, for once unsure what to do when confronted with someone who did, in fact, seem to want to kiss him. Tentatively, Caduceus’s slender fingers rose to cup Molly’s cheek, and he leaned into the touch, inhaling the earthy green cologne the firbolg wore simply by being. Caduceus met his eyes, gaze soft, and leaned in slowly to press his lips to Molly’s.

There were no fireworks, no lustful burn in his gut. In many ways, it was better for the lack of those things. Caduceus kissed him gently, sweetly, as though to harsh a touch might break him, and that in itself was a novelty. Kissing Caduceus was like being wrapped in a warm blanket, handed a hot drink, and spooned on the sofa to the sound of gentle rain on the windows. 

Kissing Caduceus was very much like coming home. 

When they parted, Molly kept his eyes shut, a stupid grin finding it’s way across his face. “Deuces,” he murmured. His fingers were curled loosely in Caducues’s shirt. 

“Treasure?” Caduceus replied, and Molly surged up to kiss him again, casting aside some of the gentleness in the name of exploration. Caduceus met him in stride, and  _ there  _ was the desirous spark the Caleb inspired, that hint of want that so easily fanned into a flame. Molly kept his hands to himself, however, remembering somewhere in his distraction that this was only their second date. 

Wouldn’t want to scare him off, after all. 

Molly swiped his tongue across Caduceus’s lower lip, fingers climbing the column of his neck to rest against his jaw. It fit nicely in Molly’s hands, sharp but soft, as his thumbs caressed Caduceus’s cheekbones. The firbolg gave a shaky little sound as a result, lips parting just enough for Molly to take advantage and deepen the kiss. 

When they parted again, they were both breathless, gaze feverish between them as they held each other’s faces in the light of Caduceus’s greenhouse of a room. 

“I’m not crazy, right?” Molly asked, forcing himself to breathe just deeply enough to speak steadily. “There’s something here, between us?”

“You’re not crazy,” Caduceus murmured, fingers twitching up to push a lock of hair behind Molly’s ear. Molly tilted towards his touch, skin alight with the sensation. 

“You’re not crazy at all.” 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Are they moving too fast? Who knows. I gave them permission to be in love and off they went.


End file.
